Will the Department provide the necessary funding to Cork City Council to enable building work to be carried out on Mayfield library and community centre in view of the fact the council has submitted an application for funding for this project? Will the Minister of State make a statement? Mayfield has a large population on the north-east side of Cork city. It has many retired people but the population in the area is growing as well, with over 1,500 houses being built within a 1 mile radius of the library. It also caters for residents in Dillon's Cross, St. Luke's and upper Glanmire and the Glanmire area, which was an area previously in the county, which has now come under the city council's jurisdiction. There is a very big population in this area. A Part 8 planning notice was filed on 22 April 2024 by Cork City Council setting out what the proposals were. The proposals set out the changes that are required in the facility there. It is very detailed. The council, I understand, prior to putting in that Part 8 planning notice in 2024, made a submission to the Department as far back as 2023. We are three years on and nothing has occurred. This is an important facility for the community. As well as a library, a community centre is attached to it, providing a lot of essential services for the area. The proposal included reconfiguration internally in the building itself, but also an extension to the existing facility to cater for the growing population of the area. It is an essential facility for the north-east side of Cork city, but also for the new housing that is being built in the immediate area. The housing is being built at a very fast pace. Over a three-year period, it is expected that at least 1,500 additional houses will be in place, with a new population moving in there. There will be people who are retired and new young families. It is important that the service provided by Mayfield library is up to date and it can provide for the population of the area. Will funding be provided to Cork City Council by the Department in order that this project can progress?

Sentiment score: 0.10

I thank the Minister of State for the reply. The issue is the new development that is going on. That was not part of the submission made in 2023 because it had not even gone through the planning process. There has been a huge growth in population. It is an area that needs to be prioritised. The library facility in Mayfield, which has very good staff, is not adequate for the demand that is there now. There is also the whole issue about community facilities as well, which is attached to the library and part of the library building. They also need to be upgraded. I was there earlier this week for the AGM of the community association. There is an active community association there. They are trying to assist in various projects in the immediate area, but they also need to have the infrastructure in place. For instance, one of the projects within the community facility is a preschool facility for a small number of children. That is already in place there. However, there is a whole lot of services that need to be developed. In particular, we need to ensure we have a library that is adequate for both the existing population and the growing of population. It is important it is prioritised. I ask that the Department makes sure it is considered in the next round of funding when it is dealing with it with Cork City Council.

Sentiment score: 0.18